Clemson

Illinois State

Kentucky

The Influence of Speech Communication

• The basic course … is perhaps the original and most enduring pedagogical element in the communication discipline (Valenzano et al., 2014)
• National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) -> National Association of Academic Teachers of Public Speaking (NAATPS) -> National Communication Association (NCA)
• Research concerning oral performance, bodily gestures, and imitation of great speakers began to take on the agenda of a social science discipline
  • Led to the rise of empirically oriented communication programs

Critiquing Speech

• The legacy of speech communication leaves communication uniquely qualified to improve speaking skills across the total educational landscape
• However, the study of speech is not sufficiently rooted in the theoretical traditions of the modern discipline
  • Communication as a field is far more complex - theoretically and methodologically - than what is taught in traditional speech classes

The ‘Basic’ Course as the Front Porch

• Beebe (2008) referred to the ‘basic’ course as the “front porch,” welcoming new students to the Communication discipline
• The front porch creates a good first impression, but ultimately looks nothing like what you’ll find inside (the theoretical depth of the discipline)
• Seen as too skills-focused and lacking the theory that defines the broader field
• Public speaking scholars are sometimes relegated to the margins, as no one “lives” on the porch

Public Speaking as a Foundation

• Can we rethink the public speaking course as the foundation of the house?
  • It is strong, stable, and holds everything up
• Public speaking as an area of practice belongs to everyone.
• By teaching the theory behind why students take certain actions and value certain ways of speaking (in addition to skills), the public speaking course can directly support the “house”

Reflection

• Rooted in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)
• Students use extensive reflection to internalize content relative to their own perspectives, beliefs, and values
• Manifests as opportunities to lead discussions, share thoughts, free write about lessons, self-reflect, or express viewpoints
• The instructor has a responsibility to facilitate this reflection

Flexibility

• Instructors must remain flexible in their practice
• Involves giving students voice to adapt pedagogy appropriately
• Determine effective methods for teaching via:
  • Instructor-student relationships
  • Sound assessments that produce appropriate feedback
  • Pedagogical content knowledge that stems from research and practice

Clarity

• Clarity is the foundational principle that enables student learning
• Clarity must encompass content and procedure
  • Content: pedagogy should intentionally and deliberately reduce uncertainty about what students will learn and how they will be assessed
  • Procedure: instructors must balance authority and rapport by having rules and policies in place that (1) create conditions suitable for learning and (2) establish a standard for treating students fairly

Holistic Student Support

• I believe in Humans first, Students second
• How can we show all students that they are valued? How can we promote fairness for all students?
  • Use sound communication behaviors to create safe spaces and climates.
  • Consider accessibility of all course materials
  • Incorporate a diverse selection of content (e.g., textbooks, podcasts, videos)

Ongoing Assessment

• Must understand constituents vs constraints
• Ongoing assessment allows us to showcase course performance and target areas for intervention
  • Assessment can also be an important research endeavor
• Assessment also leads to enhanced advocacy

Clarity

• Multiple sections with multiple instructors requires clarity in both content and procedure
• Want instructors to have freedom to decide day to day endeavors
  • Need consistency to conduct proper assessment
  • Need consistency to deal with problems effectively
• Enough clarity so all instructors are prepared to teach content and all students are prepared to learn

Uncertainty Reduction

Socialization

• Success is a community endeavor
• Everyone should work for each other, not necessarily for the director
  • Strong community will enhance course buy-in
• The community, as well as the class, should be a positive climate
• How do we stay connected to each other but remain respectful of time as well?

Feedback

World Class Teacher Training

• I believe we should:
  • Prepare good teachers at all levels
  • Make skill development ongoing

Public Speaking Center / TOPS Expansion

• Expand Center so it is designed to meet needs of everyone on campus
• Ensure that those who use Center see communication as beyond public speaking
• An expansion would be:
  • Rooted in communication research
  • Based in a consulting relationship where we determine how to best help
  • Use assessment data to determine how to address needs

Nyquist, J. D., Wulff, D. H., & Abbott, R. D. (1989). The interface between communication and instruction: Communication foundations for a university instructional development center. Communication Education, 38, 377-386. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634528909378779

Relentless Advocacy

• Given that others want to teach public speaking, we need solidify ourselves as its champion
  • Who else is more qualified?
  • See Basic Communication Course Annual Volume 18
• Ongoing assessment allows us to showcase how well our students are doing and retain enrollment
• Sustained representation on Volunteer Core
• Promotion of course on local, state, and national level

Procedural Clarity

• Instructors must understand what to do when they encounter problems
• I believe there should be a systematic process for a variety of circumstances
  • If plagiarism is suspected, instructors should…
  • If GenAI is being used inappropriately, instructors should…
  • If a student is misbehaving, instructors should…

Capability for Self Reflection

Every good leader needs to possess a capability for self-reflection; they should be able to reflect on their successes and failures in order to grow, adapt, and meet the needs of their followers

Situational Leadership

• Requires one to intimately know and assess their followers
• A good leader needs to be aware of these situations so that they may intervene, guide, or coach followers appropriately
• I can be available frequently or not at all, depending on one’s needs

Followership

• Leadership is co-created with followers
• Effective leaders are grounded in the relationships and connections they have with those they seek to influence
• We can build self-concept and buy-in by giving everyone a voice

Charismatic Leadership

• Leadership is a performance that requires charisma to motivate followers
• I strongly believe in:
  • my personal approach public speaking pedagogy
  • identifying models of expected performance
  • managing the classroom
  • addressing challenge behaviors
  • providing high-quality feedback
• Charismatic leaders sell their vision to followers, but they also need to articulate that vision to those within the university who seek to constrain what they create

Thank You!

T. Kody Frey, Ph.D.

Gifford Blyton Professor in Oral Communication and Forensics
Associate Professor
School of Information Science
College of Communication and Information
University of Kentucky

317 Little Library, 160 Patterson Drive, Lexington, KY 40506-0224